Shedding mechanism for looms.



PATF-NTBD FEB. 14,1905. F. LACEY. 7

SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1904.

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F. LAGEY.

SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1904.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1904.

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o torney sa PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905. F. LAOBY. SHEDDING MEGHANISM'FORLOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1904.

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cfZ-tto rngya UNITED STATES Patented February 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRED LACEY, OF VALLEYF1ELD, CANADA.

SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOIVI S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,569, dated February14, 1905.

Application filed August 1, 1904. Serial 110,218,990.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED LAoEY, acitizen of the United States, residingat Valleyfield, in the county of Beauharnois, Province of Quebec,Dominion of Canada, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Shedding Mechanisms for Looms,of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

As is well understood by those who are skilled in the art, in looms inwhich cams are employed for the actuation of the harness, harness-camsof different shapesare required for the production of different weightsof goods. For instance, aloom for weaving a lawn, which is made fromline yarns and is a very light cloth, should have the harness-camsthereof shaped to move the harness steadily and slowly when changingfrom one shed to another in order to prevent breakage of warp-yarns,these cams acting to give only sufficient dwell to the harness at theopen shed to allow of a clear passage for the shuttle. When weavingcloth of a medium quality, which is a little heavier than lawns, usingyarns a little coarser than are used in the latter, it is necessary toemploy harness-cams timed to complete the opening of the shed a littleearlier and formed to give a little longer dwell when the shed is open,afiording a somewhat clearer shed for the shuttle, a clearer shed beingrequired when weaving coarser yarns, inasmuch as these last are somewhatcloser together in the reed than in the case of lawns. When weavingsheeting, duck, or any other heavy fabric, it is necessary to employharness-cams timed to cross the warp-yarns prior to the beating up ofthe previous pick of weft and formed to complete the opening of the shedstill earlier and give a still longer dwell with the shed fully open, itbeing requisite to cross the warp-threads back of each pick before thelatter is struck up to the cloth-making line by the reed of the lay inorder that the pick may not springback as the lay and reed move awayfrom the said line after beating up the pick. Heavy cloths cannot beWoven in ordinary or light looms without this crossing of the shed onthe pick that is being beaten up. Although an ordinary loom providedwith a properly-designed cam can be made to weave reasonably-heavycloth, a heavy loom with an'improperly-designed' cam cannot weave heavycloth. It heretofore has been usual in mills to run looms steadily ongoods of the same weight. At the present time it is desirable, in orderto meet the Varying requirements of trade, to be able from time to timeto vary the product of a loom from cloth of one Weight tovcloth of adifferent weight.

One general object of the invention is toenable the harness-operatingmechanism of a loom to be adjusted quickly and conveniently to adapt theloom to the production of cloths of diiferent weights without removingand replacing the harness-cams or otherwise reconstructing theharness-operating mechanism.

The invention consists, essentially, in the combination, in a loom withharness-operating mechanism either embracing harness.- cams shapedsuitably for the production of goods of a given weight or otherwiseequipped to actuate the harness properly for such production andnormally coacting with the other elements of the loom in suchproduction, of devices which may be rendered "inoperative when thenormal working of the said harnessoperating mechanism is desired, butwhich may be rendered operative when it is desired to adapt the loom forthe production of goods of a given different weight to modify the actionof the harness, to suit the latter weight of goods. The said devicespreferably are adjustable to provide for the production of a variety ofweights of goods.

V The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows portion of a loom in section on a vertical planeextending from front to rear with an embodiment of the inventionapplied. Fig. 2 shows in rear elevation the parts of Fig. 1 which moreparticularly are involved in the invention. Fig. 3 shows the parts ofFig. 2 in side elevation, with the crank-shaft and cam-shaft incross-section. Fig. 4 shows the double or compound eccentrio of Figs. 1,2, and 3 in rear elevation detached. Fig. 5 shows the said double orcompound eccentric in side elevation. Fig. 6 shows in front elevation amodification in which a crank and eccentric ring or collar are employed.Fig. 7 shows the ring or collar of Fig. 6 in side elevation. Figs. 8, 9,and

10 are diagrams showing ordinary or usual harness-cams of'diiferentshapes or proportions. Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 1 1 are views somewhat onthe order of diagrams-illustrating the working of the embodiment of theinvention which is shown by Figs. 1 to 5. Fig. 15 is a view showing ,theapplication of the invention to a shedding mechanism of the type inwhich the harness is actuated by means of a rotating crank or itsequivalent.

Having reference to the drawings, portion of one side frame of a loom isrepresented at 1, Fig. 1, and portion of the arch is shown at 2.

,3, Figs. 1 to 3, is the crank-shaft of a loom, and 4 is the cam-shaftthereof, the latter rotating, as usual, at one-half the rate of speed ofthe former.

5 5, Fig. 1, are harness-frames, 51 51 be:

ing straps by means of which the said harmess-frames are suspended fromthe top rolls 52 52, which are carried by the roll-shaft 53, mountedupon the said arch 2. 54 5 1 are harness-straps extending down from saidharmess-frames to harness-levers 55 55, the latter being mountedpivotally upon fixed supports,

as usual, and engaged by harness-cams 6 6.

The said harness cams are mounted upon the cam-shaft 4 and in theirrotation act against rolls 56 56, that are carried by the saidharness-levers, thereby communicating to the harness-levers themovements that are transmitted to the harness-frames for the purpose ofactuating the latter.

Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings show an embodiment ofthe inventionemployed in con nection with harness-cams 6 6, corresponding in formwith the cam shown separately in Fig. 8, the said cams being suited foruse in weaving 'fine yarns in the production of lawns. For conveniencein making comparison and in orderto insure a correct understanding ofthe purposes of the invention I have shown in Fig. 9 a harness-cam 61,which is formed to give a little longer dwell than cams 6 6, the saidcam being adapted to operate as hereinbefore set forth and being suitedfor medium yarns and medium-weight goods. Fig. 10 shows a cam 62, whichis formed to give a still longer dwell, the said cam being adapted tooperate as hereinbefore set forth and being suited for heavy-weightgoods. The invention is designed to enable the harness-cams 6 6 of Figs.1, 2, 3, and 8 to be modified in operation when desired, so as tosecure, for example, the same dwells of the open sheds and operation asin the case of the cam 61 of Fig. 9 and the cam 62 of Fig. 10,respectively.

arrangement of the gear-train may vary without involving departure fromthe spirit of the invention. In the present instance it comprises abevel-gear 7, which is made fast upon the cam-shaft by a clamping-screw73, an intermediate or carrier bevel-gear 71, which is mounted aspresently will be described, and a bevel-gear 72, that is mounted uponthe camshaft4 with capacity to turn independently of the latter, andeither is fixedly connected with sleeve 63 or in clutch connectiontherewith, as shown. The intermediate or carrier bevelgear 71 issupported by a swinging carrier comprising a swivel 8 and an arm 9,extending therefrom. The said swivel consists of a sleeve that is fittedupon the cam-shaft 4 between the bevel-gears 7 72 so as to hold thelatter at the requisite distance apart from each other, the said sleevehaving a radial socket 81, in which the inner extremity of the said armis received and secured by aclamping or binding screw 82. Theintermediate or carrier bevel-gear 71 is journaled upon the stem of thesaid arm and is stepped upon the outer end of the socketed portion ofthe swivel. The said bevel-gear is held in proper engagement with thebevel-gears 7 72 by means of a collar 91, that is fitted upon the stemof the arm 9 and secured in place thereon by means of a clamping orbinding screw 92. The bevelgear 72 and sleeve 63 are confined betweenthe swivel 8 and a collar 631 u pon the cam-shaft 41, the said collarbeing secured in place upon the cam-shaft by means of a clamping orbinding screw 632.

In the working of the loom the normal action of the harness-cams 6 6 issecured by causing the carrier 8 9 to remain in a given position. Solong as the said carrier is held in a fixed position the saidharness-cams will be caused to rotate at a uniform rate of speed, andthey will operate normally in the production ofthe goods for which theirshape and proportions are especially designed. A diffential movement ofthe harness cams by which the action of the latter is modified to suitthe production of goods of different weights is produced by,communicating to the carrier a complete oscillation or vibration foreach shed formation.

In the present instance The said actuator in Figs. 1 to is constitutedby an eccentric of adjustable throw. In the said figures it consists ofa compound eccentric comprising the inner eccentric member '10, sleevedupon the crank-shaft 3 and made fast thereto by means of a clamping orbinding screw 101 and the outer eccentric member 102, fitting around theeccentric body of the member and secured in the desired position uponthe said body by clamping or binding-screws 103 103. The describedconstruction enables the periphery of the outer member 102 to beadjusted either into concentricity with the crank-shaft, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 5 or into position to secure any desired extend ofthrow within the capacity of the device. Fig. 5 shows in full lines thedouble or compound eccentric adjusted as required in order to secure thefull or maximum throw thereof, which is also the adjustment thereof inFigs. 1 to 3. For engagement with the actuator the arm 9 of the swingingcarrier is furnished with a fork or yoke 93, embracing the actuator.When the compound or double eccentric is set or adjusted as indicated bythe dotted lines of Fig. 5,. so that the exterior of the same isconcentric with the crank-shaft, it serves to hold the carrier in itsstationary or fixed position, and thus to secure the rotation of. theharness-cams at a uniform rate of speed, as aforesaid. When the saiddouble or compound eccentric is set or adjusted so that its periphery isdisposed eccentrically with relation to the crank-shaft, it imparts aswinging movement to the carrier.

Having reference now more particulary to Figs. 2 and 3, in which thedirections of rotation of the crank-shaft, cam-shaft, and harnesscams,respecti vely,are indicated by the arrows, the action is substantiallyas follows: Startingwith the parts in the positions in which they arerepresented in Figs. 2 and 3, as the carrier and the gear 7l,mountedthereon,inovein the direction from right to left in Fig. 3 anaccelerated rate of rotation is communicated to the harness-cams, duringwhich part of the action the closing of one shed occurs and the openingof the new shed begins. Fig. 11 shows the positions of the actuator,carrier, harnesscams, harness-levers, and harness-frames at the middleof the period of acceleration, the shed being in the closed condition.By this acceleration the opening of-the new shed is caused to begin atan earlier moment in the cycle of movements of the loom than in thenormal or usual operation. As the carrier completes its stroke towardthe left in Fig. 3 the rate of speed of rotation of the'harnesscamsdiminishes to the normal, the full portions thereof being at such timein engagement with the harness-levers and the new shed.

being completely open. Figs. 1 and 12 show justment of the actuator.

end of the said stroke. As the carrier and gear 6 5 71 make their returnstroke from left to right the rateof-the rotation of the harness-cams isfirst retarded, and a dwell in such rotation may also be occasioned. theshed remaining open, as in Fig. 13, and then the rate is graduallyreturned to the normal as the carrier arrives at the end of its stroketoward the right, as in Fig. 14. In consequence of the said retardationor retardation and dwell the closing of the shed is caused to occur at alater instant in the cycle of movements of the loom than in the normalor usual operation. It will be clear that this mode of operation resultsnot only in beginning to open the shed earlier, but in a longer dwell ofthe open shed, the result being an action the same in effect as that ofeither the cam 61 of Fig. 9 or the cam 62 of .of various weights.

Figs. 6 and 7 show amodified form of actuator for the swinging cam, inwhich the crank-shaft 3 is provided with a crank 31, on

which an eccentric 32 is mounted. The eccentric 32 is in halves, whichare drawn together and clamped upon the crank by means of screws 33 33..The crank construction has the advantage, as compared with theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, that a crank gives double themovement that is given by an eccentric with the same diameter.

While 1 have been particular to describe completely the foregoingembodiment of the invention and to set forth fully the mode of Yoperation thereof, I do not regard my inven tion as necessarily limitedwith respect to the details herein set forth, and I do not in all caseslimit my invention to the employment of the precise differentialmechanism herein shown and described. a

Fig. 15 illustrates the application of the inventionto a sheddingmechanism of the type in which the harness is in operative connectionwith a rotatingcrank or its equivalent and is actuated thereby. In Fig.15 the harness-stra'ps 541 541, extending down from the harness-frames,are. joined to rolls 11 11 on the lower roll-shaft .12, which last issupported in bearings that-are carried by the lower portion of theloom-frame. For the actuation of the harness-frames the said lowerrollrshaft 12 has fast uponone'end thereof a pinion 121 and with theteeth of the said pinion are caused to engage the teeth of a rack 13,the latter being connected pivotally with a crank-pin 14:, which iscarried by a rotating wheel 15. The wheel 15 is mounted upon andconcentrically with cam-shaft 4, although it is free to turnindependently with relation to the drivingshaft. It may correspond withthe wheel 72 of Figs. 1, 2, and 3 or be connected with the said wheel72, so as to' turn in unison therewith. By the rotation of the crank therack is reciprocated, and thereby an oscillating movement iscommunicated to the roll-shaft, by means of which the harnessis operatedin well-known manner. By means of the differential mechanism when thelatter is brought into action a differential movement of the rotatingcrank is occasioned, essentially the same as in the case of the cams 6 6of the modification first set forth, the effect of the said ditferentialmovement upon the sheds being substantially the same.

I have made the embodiment of the invention which is shown in Fig. 15the subject of a divisional application, filed August 12, 1904. SerialNo. 220,492. In some instances I contemplate employing a crank ofadjustable throw on the order of that shown and described in thesaiddivisional application as an actuator for the carrier.

What I claim is 1. In a shedding mechanism for looms, the

combination with the harness, harness-levers, harness-cams, andoperating means for the latter, of devices to modify the normal actionof the said cams, when desired, by occasioning a differential movementthereof and thus varying the length of dwell of the open sheds. I 2. Ina shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with the harness,harness-levers, and harness-cams, of mechanism to impart differentialmovement to the said cams, adjustable to vary the length of dwell of theopen sheds.

3. In a sheddi ng mechanism for looms, the combination with theharness,harness-levers, harness-cams, and means to operate the said cams, ofdifferential-motion devices by which the action of the said cams incrossing the warp-threads is accelerated. V

1. In a shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with the harness,harness-levers, harness-cams, and means to operate the said cams, of thedifferential-motion devices, provided with an actuator adjustable torender the said devices operative or inoperative.

5. In a shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with the harness,and the operatingmechanism therefor, of means to modify the normalaction of the said harness in shedding to suit a different cloth bychanging the length of dwell of the open shed.

6. In a shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with the harness,and the operating mechanism therefor, of means to modify the normalaction of the said harness in shedding to suit different cloth bychanging the length of dwell of the open shed, and adjustable to suitdifferent lengths of dwell.

7 In a shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with the harness,and means to actuate the same, of differential devices adapted to berendered operative to modify the normal action of the harness inshedding to vary the length of dwell of the open shed.

8. In a shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with the'harness,harness-levers, harness-cams, and means to operate the said cams, ofmeans to vary the length of dwell of the open shed.

9. In a shedding mechanism for looms,'the combination with theharness,harness-levers, harness-cams, and means to operate the saidcams, of means whereby to enable the rotary movement of the cams to bemodified to vary the length of the dwell of the open shed.

10. In a shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with the harness,harness-levers, and harness-cams, of means to rotate the said cams, andmeans to vary the length of the dwell of the open shed, adapted to beplaced in and out of action as desired.

' 11. In a shedding mechanism for looms, the

. combination with the crank-shaft, harness,

harness-levers, and harness-cams, of means to rotate the said cams,devices to vary the length of the dwell of the open shed, and anactuator for said devices itself actuated by the crankshaft.

12. In shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with theharness-cams, of a geartrain for operating the said cams,thegear-carrier supporting a portion of the said train and operating by itsmovement to modify the rotary movement which is communicated to thecams, and means whereby to actuate the said gear-carrier.

13. In shedding mechanism for'looms, the combination with thecrank-shaft, and the harness-cams, of a gear-train for operating thesaid cams, the gear-carrier supporting a portion of the said train, andtheactuator for said gear-carrier, actuated by the crank-shaft.

1 1. In shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with thecrank-shaft, and the harness-cams, of a gear train for operating thesaid cams, the gear-carrier supporting a portion of the said train, andthe actuator for said gear-carrier, adjustable to vary the length of thedwell of the open shed.

15. In shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with thecrank-shaft, and the harness-cams, of a gear-train for operating thesaid cams, the gear-carrier supporting a portion of the said train, andthe actuator for said gear-carrier comprising the eccentric ofadjustable throw.

16. In shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with a drivingbevel-gear, as 7, a driven bevel-gear, as 72,an intermediate bevelgear,harness-cams operatively connected with the said driven bevel-gear, acarrier for said intermediate bevel-gear, and means to oscillate thesaid carrier.

17 In shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with a drivingbevel-gear, as 7 a driven bevel-gear, as72, an intermediate bevelgear,harness-cams operativel y connected with the said driven bevel-gear, acarrier for said intermediate bevel-gear, and an adjustable actuator foroscillating the said carrier.

18. In shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with a rotatingshaft of the loom, a driving bevel-gear 'fast thereon, a drivenbevel-gear, harness-cams in operative connection with said drivenbevel-gear, an intermediate bevel-gear, a carrier for said intermediatebevel-gear, an actuator for said carrier, and a rotary shaft on whichthe said actuator is mounted.

19. In shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with the harness,of a driven bevel-gear in operative connection with said harness, adriving bevel-gear, an intermediate combination with the harness. of adriven,

bevel-gear in operative connection with said harness, a drivingbevel-gear, an intermediate bevel-gear, a carrier for said intermediatebevel-gear, and an actuator for said carrier which may be adjusted tovary the length of dwell of the open shed.

In testimony whereof-I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED LAOEY. Witnesses:

CHAs. F. RANDALL, EDITH J. ANDERSON.

